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I like killing flies

Written by Nobuhiro Hosoki

New York is a great melting-pot city that offers up to our taste plenty of diversity in the way of food. But rarely do we see the character of the chef who creates these mouth-watering dishes. Meet Kenny Shopsin, the scruffy, strong-headed world-class man who's owned a restaurant in Greenwich Village, the breeding- ground of artists, for a couple of decades.

When a rent increase forced him out of his location, his established customer base was about to be changed. Normally, he would conduct his dishes by whipping together a few unexpected ingredients to create a magically delightful plate. Up till now, his variety of choices comprised more than 900 high-cholesterol menu. Even more astonishing, he has more than 200 varieties of specialized breakfast pancakes. In order to a regular at his place, one has to prove the worth of his character. The chef's eccentricity extended to other rules that he set. No cellphones, no parties more than five, and no ordering the same meal by couples. As he says, "The customer isn't always right." His attitude has certainly opened up a whole can of worms--or should I say vegetables?

Every day, Kenny Shopsin creates his dishes while cramped up in a claustrophobic kitchen with a grease-encrusted stove, where he often engages in a battle with flies by philosophizing and quoting Freud. Kenny has a wife and five kids, all of whom work in his restaurant despite his prickly attitude. For some reason, they all function as family they are. This film, a first feature from Matt Mahurin, A music director and illustrator, captures Kenny Shopsin's labor of love and his idiosyncratic behavior, and his attachment to family via the appealing approach of using a mini DV camera with hand-held microphone.

Soon after the restaurant moved to a new loaction on Camine Street, Kenny 's warm and beloved wife, Eve, died. This separation leads us down a memory lane of melancholy feeling, and with slightly less flavoring on the usual perfect dishes. In the end, our stomachs are full thanks to the film's highly personal dialogue reveal the core of a benevolent character.

Produced, directed and edited by Matt Mahurin
Director of photography: Mr. Mahurin
Music by Chris Toland
Released by ThinkFilm.
Running time: 79 minutes.